War medals linked to Tauranga’s Battle of Gate Pā up for auction

The medal being auctioned, valued at $1300, was awarded to E. Drew of the 40th regiment, who fought in the Battle of Gate Pā in 1864.

Two New Zealand war medals with strong Tauranga connections will go under the hammer at a national auction in Wellington this week.

The medals were awarded to soldiers who fought in the Battle of Gate Pā, a significant battle in Tauranga in 1864.

It was fought at Pukehinahina (Gate Pā), where Māori defenders, outnumbered and under heavy artillery bombardment, defeated British forces.

Mowbray Collectables will auction a record $2.17 million catalogue, with 1515 lots of medals, coins and stamps, on Friday and Saturday.

New Zealand’s rarest stamp from 1903, of an inverted Lake Taupō scene, is estimated to fetch $250,000.

It was last sold in 1998 to New Zealand Post for $125,000.

Coins and medals will be auctioned on Friday. Among them are more than $300,000 worth of items from the New Zealand Wars.

Managing director David Galt said this was the largest offering during his 10 years at Mowbray’s.

It was important to tell the stories the medals held as they were a “vital part” of New Zealand history.

“The medals themselves are highly sought-after by collectors and are generally more valuable than campaign medals for other wars New Zealand has fought in.”

One medal up for auction was awarded to E. Drew of the 40th regiment, who fought in the Battle of Pukehinahina (Gate Pā) in 1864.

Another was awarded to Charles Long of the 3rd Waikato Militia, who was also present at Gate Pā.

Galt said the medals were “quite rare” and desirable for New Zealanders who valued history.

“It is the original battles they fought in and what happened that makes the difference. Gate Pā is one of the more famous battles.”

A medal available for auction, awarded to Charles Long of the 3rd Waikato Militia, present at the Battle of Gate Pā, valued at $1,400.

The battle took place on April 29, 1864, and Māori forces were victorious due to the construction of fighting trenches.

About 230 Māori fighters defended the pā using trench warfare tactics, while a much larger British force of about 1700 troops launched the assault.

The British lost 35 killed and 75 wounded, twice the estimated Māori casualties.

The battle was also notable for the code of conduct created by Māori, who cared for the wounded attackers.

According to Tourism New Zealand, Gate Pā is now the nation’s only place with a battlefield within city boundaries, and is an outdoor reserve.

Drew’s medal, one of only 33 issued to the 40th Regiment, is estimated to be worth $1300 and is dated, which Galt said was important.

Charles Long’s “well-preserved” medal had a $1400 estimate but was undated.

Galt said these estimates were higher than others in the lot being auctioned.

“The main factors affecting medal values are what the person concerned did, the scarcity, and sometimes the condition, but all the medals here are quite presentable.”

He said the medals had been with collectors and dealers for many years.

“Bidding will exceed estimates on some medals, but generally we look to estimate the expected price.”

For New Zealand medals, Galt said buyers tended to be New Zealanders, who often outbid overseas buyers.

“When you look at individual medals, it opens a window to show what really happened for the individuals concerned and provides a lot of insight.”

The auction is online and at the West Plaza Hotel in Wellington.

Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.